A friend of mine just got the DROID Charge. Within a few hours of getting the phone she started getting text messages from an international number (well.. numbers, as it's never the same number, always similar though). It's obviously spam and tells her if she wants to opt out to reply.
She wasn't getting these messages on her prior phone so rather than replying she contacted Verizon and asked them what was going on. Apparently the customer service person told her that there is a known virus (??) issue specific to the DROID Charge that Verizon is working with Samsung on getting fixed.
The tech spoke with suggested she go back to the store and get her phone swapped. She did and she wasn't even out of the Verizon store before she started getting more of these messages.
Has anyone heard of this?
I admit that I don't even understand how this would happen. How does a specific phone receive messages? Wouldn't it be associated with her number? Especially since it kept happening after she had her phone swapped out?
The way she described her conversation with Verizon... it almost sounds like something coming from the factory which just seems unlikely... (even though I once got a virus from a brand new floppy disk.. I'm still skeptical). So I'm left wondering if Verizon just doesn't know what to do about it and is trying to keep her happy (see?... skeptical).
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Is there a known spam/virus issue specific to the DROID Charge?
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leigh's pick
Devices, even from well-known manufacturers, have been known to ship with viruses (www.apple.com/support/windowsvirus/).
I'd guess the Android build that Samsung shipped with the device has a virus that phones home to the spammer with the device's phone number, and signs them for the spammy texts.
I'd guess the Android build that Samsung shipped with the device has a virus that phones home to the spammer with the device's phone number, and signs them for the spammy texts.
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Rule #1: never believe what customer service tells you.
Rule #2: never believe what corporate tech support tells you.
She probably had international texting blocked on her plan and someone accidentally unblocked it when they were changing her account for the phone upgrade. Either that or her # just came up in the random cell phone # generator of the script that is out there somewhere generating this spam.
Did she ask them to block international texting? If they won't, she could return the phone and port her number to Sprint, where they will allow blocking of international services (assuming it is all since we have international direct connect blocked on some phones here at work).
Rule #2: never believe what corporate tech support tells you.
She probably had international texting blocked on her plan and someone accidentally unblocked it when they were changing her account for the phone upgrade. Either that or her # just came up in the random cell phone # generator of the script that is out there somewhere generating this spam.
Did she ask them to block international texting? If they won't, she could return the phone and port her number to Sprint, where they will allow blocking of international services (assuming it is all since we have international direct connect blocked on some phones here at work).
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I haven't heard of any virus with the DROID Charge, let alone any Android virus. What's more likely is that some service got a hold of her phone number and is sending her messages.
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